Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/33511
spirit, you don’t get involved in the quality of the product.” The fi nal products are four-times- distilled and bottled at 80 proof. Chandler sums up their differences succinctly: “Chopin Potato is creamy and more viscous, with a big mouth- feel and a fairly long fi nish. Chopin Rye is spicy, with a touch of sweet- ness and vanilla and slightly shorter fi nish.” At just 50,000 nine-liter cases, Chopin is a true craft spirit that stands out in a fi eld of industrial brands the way Frédéric Chopin towers above Muzak. “We’re getting calls from all over the world,” says Chandler, but Chopin Rye, like its potato-based counterpart, is aimed squarely at the all-important American market (only Russia consumes more vodka than the U.S.), and consumers here seem to appreciate these vodkas’ hand- crafted nature and polished style. Chandler says that Chopin Wheat will be released later this fall, giving the brand a trio of single-ingredient vodkas that will be unique in the category. “We have a pretty aggres- sive growth plan,” he states: “to grow from one facing on the backbar to three.” Frédéric Chopin wrote an early piano trio that’s now nearly forgotten. That means the Polish vodka brand, not the composer, will certainly be the fi rst thing anyone will cue up when a “Chopin trio” is called for. As Chandler says, “Two products isn’t a collection—but three is.” —David Gadd Chopin Rye On-Premise at Wynn and Encore in Las Vegas Patricia Richards oversees some 25 restaurant, lounge and casino bars at the acclaimed Wynn & Encore resorts in Las Vegas. So when the Master Mixologist crafts a new cocktail, there are many considerations beyond her own award-win- ning inspiration: What outlet the drink is for, who is the intended clientele (casual/ fi ne dining), what’s inspiring her, what are the hot trends, what thoughts the chefs and managers have, what products she has in surplus and more. Amid her busy schedule (currently implementing several summer drinks, as well as establishing a property-wide year-round series of nine “signature sips”), Richards was happy to allow THE TASTING PANEL inside her creative process, showing us her remarkably overstocked beverage kitchen before settling down to create two exclusive Chopin Rye cocktails in the gorgeous bar of Encore’s restaurant Sinatra. First we taste new Chopin Rye vodka, Richards noting immediately that its profi le matches the typically asser- tive Russian/Polish style, offering a little sweetness, pepper, good length and a clean fi nish. With the rye’s character, she says, “I want to work in harmony with the spice.”Immediately, she notes it would show nicely in a Bloody Mary, a Dirty Martini with blue cheese-stuffed olives or her own Basil Gimlet. Patricia’s fi rst thought is to do a twist on a Moscow Mule using lemongrass and mint. “Let’s think outside the box,” she says. “I’m over the whole muddled Mojito look.” With a heavy pour to showcase the product, she adds some lemon juice, mint, housemade lemongrass/ginger syrup, grapefruit bitters, ginger beer and a big stalk of lemongrass to create the Fresca, a tart, bright, slightly sweet drink that stimulates the salivary glands—great for poolside refresh- ment or as a light aperitif. The second one takes more time: “We’re introducing everyone to single-ingre- dient vodka.” —Chopin’s Dana Chandler Patricia Richards created two inspired cocktails using Chopin Rye: the Creole Mary (left) and the Fresca. Richards envisions a lighter summer twist on a Bloody Mary to pair with lunch. She softly muddles some fresh grape tomatoes, adding the Chopin Rye, just a bit of fresh marjoram and ground pepper to accent the herbal qualities, lemon juice and some red balsamic vinegar, shaking then straining into an up glass. It isn’t quite there, though. So we cut down on the tomatoes and the marjoram (which affects the nose and mouthfeel more than fl avor—it’s a very interesting accent), switch to white balsamic and bring in some Cajun seasoning specially blended by Chef Carlos Guia of the Country Club at Wynn. That does it. It’s elegant, savory, but still light and food-friendly. The Creole Mary, a truly original cocktail. “Hey, some guys can make a cocktail 50 times before it’s right,” Patricia says with a smile, clinking glasses. In fact, after we depart, Richards still isn’t quite satisfi ed, later tweaking the recipe with Clamato and Worcestershire, to intensify the fl avors. Note that both are very simply garnished, almost minimalist presentations. “That’s where I think things are going,” says the mixologist. —E. C. Gladstone For complete recipes for the cocktails mentioned, see www.tastingpanelmag.com. june 201 1 / the tasting panel / 7 PHOTO COURTESY OF CHOPIN VODKA